CNX Gas Reports Horizontal Marcellus Shale Well Producing 6.5 Million Cubic Feet Per Day; Raises 2008 Production Guidance to 75
15 12월 2008 - 11:19PM
PR Newswire (US)
PITTSBURGH, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CNX Gas Corporation
(NYSE: CXG), the leading E&P company in the Appalachian Basin,
reported that its first horizontal Marcellus Shale well is now
producing at a rate of 6.5 million cubic feet (MMcf) per day. This
is a record daily production rate for any well in the company's
history and is believed to be among the highest reported by any
Marcellus Shale producer. The well, located in Greene County, Pa.,
began flowing into the sales meter on October 2, with an initial
production rate of 1.2 MMcf per day and 4,000 pounds of
backpressure, as previously reported. The backpressure on the well
had been gradually reduced since then, allowing daily production to
increase to about 4 MMcf per day until Friday, when the
installation of new surface equipment enabled the well to flow at
the 6.5 MMcf per day rate, with pressure still being held at 2,640
pounds. Cumulative production from the well prior to last Friday
was 106 MMcf. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051213/CNXLOGO ) Nicholas J.
DeIuliis, president and chief executive officer, said, "This was a
team effort from our engineers, operators, and support personnel,
including the directional drillers from Scientific Drilling and the
hydraulic fracturing team from BJ Services. I can't speak highly
enough of our Marcellus Shale team. "To achieve this kind of
success with our first horizontal Marcellus Shale well," Mr.
DeIuliis continued, "speaks volumes about the breadth of our
horizontal drilling expertise. Many investors may not be aware, but
CNX Gas had drilled 160 horizontal coalbed methane wells before
drilling its first horizontal Marcellus Shale well." The well was
drilled to a vertical depth of 8,140 feet in the Huntersville
Chert, penetrating 83 vertical feet of Marcellus Shale. The well
was logged then plugged back and a horizontal section of 3,395 feet
was cut for a total measured depth of 10,738 feet. The well was
completed with a five-stage slickwater fracture treatment using 3
million pounds of proppant. CNX Gas has a 100% working interest in
the well and a 100% net revenue interest because CNX Gas does not
pay a royalty. Because of the gathering infrastructure already in
place from its CBM operations, CNX Gas was able to place the well
online immediately after retrieving frac fluids. Also, gas from
production in southwestern Pennsylvania, as in other areas of
Appalachia, typically receives a premium over NYMEX pricing. CNX
Gas is currently drilling its second vertical Marcellus Shale well
and will be shortly hydraulically fracturing its second and third
horizontal wells. Updates on these wells will be provided during
the company's next earnings conference call, now scheduled for
January 28, 2009. CNX Gas is also raising its 2008 production
guidance to 75 billion cubic feet (Bcf) from 74 Bcf. The current
guidance represents the third time guidance has been raised from
the original guidance of 72 Bcf. If the 75 Bcf is attained, it
would represent a nearly 29% increase from the 58.2 Bcf produced in
2007. The company attributes the increased guidance to exploration
success in both the Marcellus and Chattanooga shales, as well as
continued higher-than-expected coalbed methane production.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Various
statements in this release, including those that express a belief,
expectation, or intention, as well as those that are not statements
of historical fact, are forward-looking statements (as defined in
Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). These
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from projected results. Accordingly,
investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements as a prediction of actual results. We have based these
forward-looking statements on our current expectations and
assumptions about future events. While our management considers
these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are
inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive,
regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most
of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our
control. These risks, contingencies and uncertainties relate to,
among other matters, the following: our business strategy; our
financial position; our cash flow and liquidity; declines in the
prices we receive for our gas affecting our operating results and
cash flow; uncertainties in estimating our gas reserves; replacing
our gas reserves; uncertainties in exploring for and producing gas;
our inability to obtain additional financing necessary in order to
fund our operations, capital expenditures and to meet our other
obligations; disruptions, capacity constraints in or other
limitations on the pipeline systems which deliver our gas;
competition in the gas industry; the availability of personnel and
equipment; increased costs; the effects of government regulation
and permitting and other legal requirements; legal uncertainties
regarding the ownership of the coalbed methane estate; costs
associated with perfecting title for gas rights in some of our
properties; our need to use unproven technologies to extract
coalbed methane in some properties; our relationships and
arrangements with CONSOL Energy; factors affecting CONSOL Energy's
coal mining operations, such as changes in the coal market, the
risk inherent in coal mining, and compliance with laws, and other
factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2007. We are including this cautionary statement
in this release to make applicable and take advantage of the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995 for any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf,
of us. Contact: Dan Zajdel Vice President - Investor Relations
(412) 200-6719 http://www.cnxgas.com/
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051213/CNXLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: CNX Gas Corporation
CONTACT: Dan Zajdel, Vice President - Investor Relations,
+1-412-200-6719, Web site: http://www.cnxgas.com/
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